Lifehouse â€“ Who We Are

You know, I had no clue that Lifehouse took their name from a failed Who follow-up to their classic album â€œTommyâ€. Enough for random trivia: â€œWho We Areâ€ marks the fourth full length album for Lifehouse, and it shows the same sort of stable sound that acts like Nickelback and Daughtry have been creating throughout their careers. The first track on this album is â€œDisarrayâ€. It takes only a few seconds to start, the band is able to command the attention of listeners soon after. â€œFirst Timeâ€ is probably how individuals will be introduced to this album.

The track has a lot in common with the rest of the Lifehouse singles, and for individuals that may not be familiar with the bandâ€™s work, imagine if newer Bon Jovi was crossed with later Goo Goo Dolls. The band has a tremendous amount of variance in this sound, and it seems as if at points the only thing that is holding together the twelve cuts on â€œWho We Areâ€ are the slightly gritty vocals that are the focal point of a many a track here. It feels as if the title track is one of the weaker tracks on the disc, as it tries to just put too much of the tracksâ€™ fortunes on these vocals.

The vocals during the track may be at the same level as they were during the rest of the disc, but the added benefit that the instrumentation provides during these tracks is decreased during â€œWho We Areâ€. Lifehouse falls on rough straits during both â€œBrokenâ€ and â€œThe Jokeâ€. While there are some spontaneous blasts of energy strewn throughout â€œThe Jokeâ€, they just feel tacked on and not logically following from the context of the earlier part of the sound. â€œWho We Areâ€ has a string of tracks that are still decent but do not provide much in the way of new material for listeners of the album. The band has crafted enough in the way of albums that it seems as if the formula is wearing out a little bit. I would say that Lifehouse would benefit from taking a year off and trying to come at their next album with a different set of influences. If they can do that, their fifth album will be at the same point their first three albums were at or better. If you absolutely need to get â€œFirst Timeâ€, buy this album. Otherwise, wait for the greatest hits or pick up an earlier Lifehouse album.